


Deathbed Confession

by MsPooslie



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: 1940s, Catholic Steve Rogers, Death bed confession, Jewish Bucky Barnes, M/M, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Religious Discussion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-08-23 07:03:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16614185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsPooslie/pseuds/MsPooslie
Summary: Steve thinks he might actually be dying this time. Bucky is not going to let that happen.





	Deathbed Confession

**Author's Note:**

> please correct me if the religious parts are wrong! no desire to offend.

“Bucky,” Steve wheezed, the fluid pooling in his chest audible with every breath. “Bucky, you gotta send for him.”  
“Shhh, Stevie, I sent Mrs. Landingham. He’ll be here soon. Nothin’ to be scared of, you’ve had this before, you’ll kick it again, just like always.” Bucky wipes the cold sweat away with a warm rag. “Shhh, save your breath, it’s gonna be ok.” He clenches his teeth against his own rising panic.  
Father McCormick knocks lightly on the door before letting himself into the tiny apartment. He settles in on a chair next to Steve as he prepares for Extreme Unction, kissing his purple stole and plaing it around his neck. Bucky gives them what privacy he can for Steve's confession and busies himself making the priest a cool drink. The apartment is stiflingly hot because Steve can’t handle the cold. All the neighbors had pitched in extra coal for the little stove and Bucky adds thank you letters to his list of things he will have to handle when Steve gets better (he won’t even consider the alternative).  
When he hears them saying “Hail Mary”s together, he comes back and sits on the far side of the bed, resumes wiping the sweat from Steve’s brow. Father McCormick, gives him a sad smile, having done this together several times both before and after Sarah had passed. Then the priest is anointing Steve with holy oil and Bucky is biting back tears. Bucky asks for Psalm 91 and they recite it together in a Latin and Hebrew mix. Then the priest is giving Steve Eucharist and a final blessing and is gone.  
Afterwards, Steve drifts in and out of consciousness for a while before he calls out for Bucky again. Bucky is there in a flash, warm honey water to to soothe Steve’s parched throat. “It’s never been this bad before, has it Buck?” a couple of tears escape from Steve’s eyes.  
Bucky has to breathe deeply to get himself under control, because all he wants to do is wail and rend his garments because Steve is never scared. “Nah, Steve, it was this bad in ‘39. ‘Sides you’re too damned stubborn to die.”  
Steve chuckles softly which turns into a wet cough. When he can breathe again, he takes Bucky’s hand, “remember when we were kids and I got Scarlet Fever? Right after reading ‘Little Women’?”  
Bucky laughs at that, “you were so dramatic about it, worse than Amy March!”  
“Remember what I made you promise?” Steve’s eyes are serious, his lips drawn and steady.  
“Oh, Stevie.”  
“I think this really might be our last chance.”  
“Please don’t say that,” Bucky’s voice has a quiver that he can no longer hide.  
“Buck. I’m scared.” His voice is so small on the last word, so unlike himself.  
Bucky wipes his own tears away before pushing Steve’s bangs out of his face. “This don’t give you permission to croak on me now, you hear me Rogers?” Bucky tries to joke. Then ever so gently kisses him.  
“Thank you.” Steve closes his eyes for a moment a peaceful smile on his lips. After a few moments, he opens his eyes and tears are flowing freely, “Bucky, I love you. I know it ain’t right and it’s a sin but I can’t be sorry for it.”  
Bucky’s face crumples and he buries his head in Steve’s chest, “Please don’t talk like that.”  
“Like what?”  
“Like you’re saying your goodbyes, you can’t die on me, punk!”  
“Why, Bucky?”  
Bucky is sobbing now, “You just can’t!”  
Steve has his dander up though and spits angrily, “Why? Because it’s so great having me as a millstone around your neck? Not able to pay rent because i got sick again? Keeping you from finding a good dame to make your wife because you’re stuck here taking care of me?”  
“No, Stevie!”  
“Then WHY?!”  
“Because I need you.”  
“Why, Bucky? Tell me why you need me.”  
“Because I love you too,” Bucky pulls him up into his embrace, and a crushes him into a passionate kiss. It only lasts a few moments before Steve dissolves into another coughing fit. Bucky holds him tight to his chest, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “Now you gotta rest up so you can get better, punk.”  
“Bucky---”  
“Look, don’t bust my chops, OK? I love you, you love me. What’s the problem?” Bucky sidles in next to Steve and tries to pull him close but Steve pushes him away.  
“We can’t Bucky! We can’t be like this, it ain’t right.”  
“How can it be wrong to love someone? My ma used to say ‘where love is, God is’ so how can it be a sin?”  
Steve melts at the sadness on Bucky’s face and pulls him down for another small kiss before snuggling against his chest to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Steve gets better, of course.  
> I just really wanted to have these two to confess their love  
> The "Little Women" reference is when Amy March (another tiny blonde drama queen with gorgeous brunette beau) is convinced she is going to get Scarlet Fever from Beth and asks Laurie to kiss her before she dies. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBbWNjNoUwo)


End file.
